Israeli troops have been launching operations in southwestern Syria on a fairly regular basis of late, and on Monday they carried out multiple incursions into both the Quneitra and Daraa Governorates, entering multiple villages therein.
Israeli tanks and vehicles raided the village of al-Mushayrifa and searched several homes. They went on to the village of Umm Batna and surrounded a house. It is unclear what they were doing, and the IDF has not commented.
Israeli armored vehicles operating out of the village of al-Hurriya moved against the village of Ofaniyah, also in Quneitra. There were no reports of any incidents in this operation, though again the IDF did not comment.
IDF troops infiltrate the Daraa Governorate | Image from SOHR
Further south, Israeli forces advanced into the Yarmouk Basin, in Daraa Governorate. The forces briefly entered the village of Ma’araba, though reportedly they withdrew back to the occupied Golan Heights shortly thereafter and seemingly didn’t do anything while there.
A lot of the Israeli operations of late have involved creating checkpoints along major roads, searching locals that try to pass by before packing up and leaving the area. There are sometimes detentions, though seemingly most of the detained are released shortly thereafter and their detentions are for no apparent reason.
In Quneitra Israel is also reportedly expanding the number of military outposts they are operating from. Unlike most of their other military engagements, for which they tend to offer some narrative of what they’re hoping to accomplish, most of the incursions into Syria come and go without official comment, leaving open the question of how the Israel-Syria negotiations, aimed at reducing tensions and returning the situation to 1974 levels, can be accomplished amid these operations.